Calling all Foursquare Mayors! World’s first ‘Office Mayor Meetup’

To launch Microsoft Office 2010 in Australia, Microsoft is hosting the world’s first ‘Office Mayor Meetup’ via Foursquare at Martin Place next Tuesday!

So come on down. For your chance to win a copy of Microsoft Office 2010:

• Be a Foursquare Mayor of your office, business, home or school (or wherever you do your work!)
• Show up at Martin Place Amphitheatre area and look for the Microsoft Office 2010 signs
• Check in on Foursquare at the Office 2010 Mayor Meetup
• Leave a message when you check in saying why you want to win a copy of Office 2010

So if you’re a Mayor of your workplace, mark your calendars (Outlook, of course) and head down next Tuesday for the Office Mayor Meetup at Martin Place! Join in on the fun and don’t forget to follow the hashtag #OfficeMayor

Look forward to seeing you there.

Microsoft Tech.Ed 2009

There are few technology events that match the scale and prestige of Microsoft Australia’s ‘Tech.Ed’. Howorth/ Microsoft public relations team continued its proud collaboration in co-ordinating this event in 2009. It was a huge year with several key announcements coming from the software leader including:

• The largest Windows 7 test environment with 2,500 netbooks given out to conference attendees
• The Windows 7 commercial launch
• Microsoft Office 2010 technical preview

Key challenges in the public relations program included:

• Managing through a year of economic uncertainty and communicating the educational value of Tech.Ed to businesses during a time when justifying the release indispensable IT staff for three business days can be especially challenging.
• Complex logistical requirements :

1. The travel and accommodation arrangements for 21 attending media
2. Ensuring that media had access to the spokespeople they required to tell the best stories

The Howorth/ Microsoft public relations team spent many long hours ensuring the event went off without a hitch. Aside from standard media relations Howorth assisted in a number of key areas:

• Analyst relations
• Blogger outreach
• Social media monitoring

Despite the challenges, the joint team delivered a successful event that exceeded expectations of internal and external stakeholders and media.

Steve Ballmer visits Sydney

Sydney was abuzz during Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s November 2008 visit and Howorth harnessed the excitement to secure extensive traditional and digital media coverage. The PR outreach served to bolster Microsoft’s presence in the Australian online media and underline its position as a technology visionary.

Ballmer was exclusively interviewed by Lateline Business and AFR BOSS magazine; appeared at Telstra’s Investor Day following a partnership announcement by Microsoft and Telstra; and spoke at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) luncheon.

A highlight was Microsoft Australia’s ‘Liberation Day’ developer event. More than 800 developers and 16 members of the media (including bloggers) flocked to the Sydney Convention Centre to hear Ballmer speak on cloud computing and Windows 7, with bloggers and Twitter enthusiasts filing directly from the auditorium.

Journalists unable to attend watched a live Webstream. Howorth also managed press interviews for Gianpaolo Carraro, Senior Director, Microsoft Corporation and Tim Sneath, Director, Microsoft Corporation.

This event alone resulted in more than 25 pieces of coverage in publications including The Australian, The Australian Financial Review, PC Authority, iTnews, iTWire, PC Authority and Sky Business News. In total, Ballmer’s two-day visit generated more than 60 pieces of coverage for Microsoft, the majority of which appeared online.

Big stunts capture Australia’s attention

To launch Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Howorth developed a series of unique Australia Day stunts entitled ‘Look up and smile’, capturing the pride and beauty of our national day. The campaign was successfully integrated into celebrations Australia wide and helped Microsoft achieve enhanced community goodwill towards its brand through:

• support from each of the State Premiers in their Australia Day speeches
• intensive media coverage that reached more than 19 million Australians.

Coverage featured 130 stories and included radio news; talkback radio, TV news, print media, including the front page of The West Australian and online news.

Stunt highlights

Australians from all walks of life were encouraged to participate in one of many aerial photographs, or in specially created events across the country.

• Sydney-siders gathered at Centennial Park to create a massive multi-coloured map of Australia. This represented Australia’s unity in freedom and democracy, as well as the diversity of our many walks of life, religions and backgrounds
• At Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast, Australians were photographed creating an image of a red and yellow lifesaver’s cap, featuring nippers to granddads to honour 100 years of surf life saving in Australia
• In New Norcia, Western Australia, a massive 100m x 90m artwork was recreated from an image painted by three artists of the Indigenous Yuat people to reflect Australia’s unity and path towards reconciliation.

Campaign key steps

• Through close partnership with the National Australia Day Council of Australia, Howorth carefully positioned Microsoft – an ‘American’ company – so that it was not was seen to be taking over Australia’s national day
• Howorth encouraged Australians to help create three enormous artworks at large scale events in NSW, QLD and WA and participate in its aerial photography
• Howorth also worked with Microsoft to assist local committees, service clubs and other community organisations to participate by hosting their own Australia Day event. By taking their own photograph and uploading images and uploading their images to www.lookupandsmile.com.au, these groups were eligible to win $5,000.